Download 13. zvezek - Akademija za glasbo

RADOVAN GOBEC (1909-1995)
Tematska publikacija Glasbeno-pedagoškega zbornika Akademije za glasbo v Ljubljani,
zvezek 13, Ljubljana, 2010
VSEBINA / CONTENTS
Andrej Grafenauer:
UVODNO RAZMIŠLJANJE
Darja Koter:
RADOVAN GOBEC – ŽIVLJENJSKA IN USTVARJALNA POT
Radovan Gobec (1909–1995) in njegov rod naj bi bila povezana z znamenitim Matijem
Gubcem, vodjem hrvaško-slovenskega kmečkega upora v letih 1572/73. Radovanov oče
Dragotin je bil narodno zaveden Slovenec in aktiven na področju amaterskih društev.
Pripadnost slovenski kulturi je bila Radovanu tako položena že v zibki. Šolal se je na
učiteljišču v Mariboru, igral je klavir in violino in se poskusil v dirigiranju, na Akademijo za
glasbo se je vpisal šele po drugi svetovni vojni in diplomiral leta 1951 iz kompozicije in
dirigiranja (kompozicijo je študiral pri B. Arniču in L. M. Škerjancu, dirigiranje pri dr. Danilu
Švari). Komponirati je začel kot dijak, intenzivneje na začetku službovanja in nato vse
življenje do smrti. Najpogosteje zastopana področja komponiranja so zbori za najrazličnejše
zasedbe (opus obsega okrog 900 skladb in priredb), glasbeno-scenska dela, kot sta mladinska
spevoigra Kresniček (nastala 1928, predelana 1980) in opereta Hmeljska princesa (bes. R.
Gobec, 1930), po vojni je napisal svojo edino opero (Kri v plamenih, 1969, libreto na lastno
besedilo). Gobčev opus obsega nekaj obsežnejših instrumentalnih in vokalno-instrumentalnih
del v obliki simfoničnih pesnitev in kantat (Osvoboditeljem, 1950, Svobodna zemlja, 1954,
Njegovo ime je legenda, 1959, Rdeča kantata, 1961 idr.). Njegov opus je zaznamovan z
revolucionarno, partizansko in delavsko tematiko, na kar sta vplivala njegov značaj in
življenjske okoliščine. Napisal je vrsto množičnih zborov in postal ikona povojnega
glasbenega življenja na Slovenskem. Bil je zborovodja dveh takrat najpomembnejših pevskih
zborov (Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič in Partizanski invalidski pevski zbor), pedagog
v nižjem in višjem glasbenem šolstvu, snovalec učnih načrtov za vzgojo zborovodij, šolski
inšpektor, direktor Ljubljanskega Festivala, predsednik Društva slovenskih skladateljev,
svetovalec, mentor, žirant in veliki pobudnik razvoja amaterskega zborovskega petja na
Slovenskem. Deloval je kot urednik zborovskih edicij ter kot publicist različnih monografij.
Za svoje delo je prejel številne nagrade in priznanja, med njimi skupaj s Partizanskim
invalidskim pevskim zborom leta 1969 tudi Prešernovo nagrado.
Mitja Gobec:
RADOVAN GOBEC – MOJ PROFESOR IN VZORNIK
Skladateljev sin se spominja očeta kot vzornika in profesorja. Opisuje mladost v Jurkloštru na
Kozjanskem med drugo svetovno vojno, očetove težave z gestapom in njegov odhod v
partizane. Očeta in sina je najbolj zbližala glasba, natančneje zborovstvo in zborovodstvo.
Radovan Gobec je bil sinov profesor na Pedagoški akademiji v Ljubljani, kjer se je izkazal za
strogega in neprizanesljivega učitelja. Kasneje sta sodelovala na Radiu Ljubljana, kjer je
Mitja kot tonski mojster snemal očetove skladbe različnih zasedb. Radovan Gobec je
prijateljeval s številnimi slovenskimi skladatelji, tesnejših stikov pa ni imel z nikomer od njih.
Kot izkušen urednik je s sinom sodeloval tudi pri reviji Naši zbori, kjer se je izkazal kot
odličen mentor, sinu pa je zaupal v pregled svoja najnovejša dela za mladinske zbore.
Uglasbil je dela številnih slovenskih literatov (znanih je kar 176 avtorjev!) in lastna besedila,
pri čemer ni bil obremenjen z ideološko pripadnostjo avtorjev. Bil je odličen in odgovoren
organizator ter mož pokončne drže, ki si ni dovoljeval ideoloških pritiskov. Svojo glasbeno
zapuščino in korespondenco je sam vzorno uredil. Bil je praktik, risar, spreten v mizarjenju,
ljubil je naravo in enigmatiko. V novi državi Sloveniji se je repertoar revolucionarnih in
nekoč priljubljenih množičnih delavskih pesmi zlagoma opuščal, kar je Radovana Gobca
precej potrlo.
Lučka Winkler Kuret:
RADOVAN GOBEC - DIRIGENT AKADEMSKEGA PEVSKEGA ZBORA TONE
TOMŠIČ
Radovan Gobec je leta 1946 prevzel nekdanji moški akademski pevski zbor, ki ga je od
ustanovitve leta 1926 do začetka druge svetovne vojne vodil France Marolt. Že na začetku
vodenja študentskega pevskega korpusa ga je preoblikoval v mešano zasedbo. Leta 1953 so
zbor poimenovali po narodnem heroju in predvojnem članu zbora Tonetu Tomšiču. Gobec je
vodil zbor z veliko mero zagnanosti in predanosti, in sicer kljub težavam zaradi pomanjkanja
notnega gradiva in povečini notno nepismenih pevcev. Glede programske zasnove je Gobec v
prvih letih vodenja zbora nadaljeval Maroltovo tradicijo, za katero je bil značilen program
ljudskih pesmi, hkrati pa je posegal tudi po skladbah slovenskih, jugoslovanskih, pa tudi tujih
skladateljev. V desetletnem Gobčevem obdobju je zbor prepel 205 zborovskih skladb, ki jih
lahko razdelimo na narodne v različnih priredbah (98), umetne (37), partizanske (27),
množične (18), delovne (18) in himne (7). Zbor je vsako leto priredil letni koncert, ki ga je
zaokrožil s tematskim naslovom in pospremil z bogato koncertno knjižico. Gobec je prirejal
koncerte po celotni Jugoslaviji, pa tudi v zamejstvu na Koroškem in na t.i. Svobodnem
tržaškem ozemlju, skupno so nastopali kar na 265 prireditvah. Radovan Gobec je s
študentskim zborom tudi tekmoval v slovenskem in jugoslovanskem merilu ter z njim dosegal
najvišja mesta. Z vodenjem Akademskega pevskega zbora Tone Tomšič je izvajal kvalitetne
koncerte in s tem pokazal razvojno pot drugim amaterskim zborom in njihovim zborovodjem.
Aleš Gabrič:
PEVSKI ZBORI MED TRADICIJO, REVOLUCIONARNO NORMO IN
INTERNACIONALO
V prispevku je prikazana dejavnost pevskih zborov v prvem obdobju po 2. svetovni vojni in
vloga Radovana Gobca v tej dejavnosti. Ob svojem poklicnem in skladateljskem delu je bil
močno angažiran tudi v delu Ljudske prosvete Slovenije (predhodnice današnje Zveze
kulturnih društev) in njenih naslednic. Nekatere najboljše analize povojne pevske dejavnosti
je tako napisal prav Gobec, ki je bil prav tako pobudnik številnih novosti in bil vpleten v
reševanje številnih problemov, s katerimi se je srečevala pevska dejavnost. Ena osrednjih je
bila organizacija šolanja zborovodij, ki so jo sprva reševali z organiziranjem zborovodske
šole, ki pa ni bila del rednega šolskega sistema. Politiki so se bolj zanimali za ustrezno
programsko usmeritev, ki naj bi sledila idejnim izhodiščem komunistične oblasti. Toda realna
slika glasbene scene je precej odstopala od politično zamišljenih predstav, da mora na
glasbeni sceni prevladati delavska, partizanska in revolucionarna pesem. Dejansko je še
naprej prevladovalo prepevanje slovenskih ljudskih pesmi in umetnih pesmi večinoma
slovenskih skladateljev. Ko pa so politični pritiski na amatersko kulturno dejavnost pojenjali,
se je ta znašla pred novimi izzivi sodobnega sveta, predvsem prevlado zabavnih prvin v
kulturni sferi.
Veronika Šarec:
MNOŽIČNA, REVOLUCIONARNA IN DELAVSKA PESEM NA SLOVENSKEM,
VPETA V NACIONALNO GIBANJE 19. STOLETJA IN DRUŽBENO-POLITIČNE
DIREKTIVE 20. STOLETJA
Pod vplivom revolucionarnih gibanj se je v preteklih dveh stoletjih na Slovenskem razvila
nacionalna revolucionarna glasba, ki sta jo ves čas razvoja spremljali dve značilnosti:
množičnost in preprostost. Revolucionarna pesem 19. stoletja predstavlja prvo fazo razvoja
slovenske nacionalne umetne zborovske glasbe, na katero je močno vplivalo nacionalno
gibanje in z njim boj za narodne pravice, kar je tudi glavna tematika pesmi. Glasbo so sprva
ustvarjali glasbeniki diletanti, zato je bila glasbena govorica skladb prve generacije slovenskih
skladateljev izjemno preprosta, s tem pa hkrati zelo primerna za množične zborovske izvedbe
ter razumsko dostopna in všečna širšim množicam poslušalcev. V tem času se je med
skladbami slovenskih avtorjev najbolj priljubila skladba Naprej skladatelja Davorina Jenka ter
s svojo borbeno vsebino in učinkovito glasbeno zasnovo ostala aktualna tudi v 20. stoletju, ko
so skladatelji nadaljevali z ustvarjanjem množične revolucionarne glasbe, s katero so se
vključili v NOB. Namen vse novonastale glasbe naj bi bilo opogumljanje in spodbujanje ter
vodenje k svobodi naroda, v povojnem času pa se je borbena pesem vsebinsko počasi
preoblikovala v množično delavsko pesem, ki je postala odsev trenutnega družbenega stanja
in načina življenja. V prepričanosti, da je le množična pesem z aktualno vsebino, karakterno
pa vedra in optimistična, primerna v graditvi socializma, so skladatelji ustvarili ogromno
število skladb, ki so ostale na programih pevskih zborov vse do konca osemdesetih let 20.
stoletja.
Jernej Weiss:
TOMČEVA STARA PRAVDA IN GOBČEV SPOR S POLITIČNIMI OBLASTMI
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič, eden izmed tedaj najboljših slovenskih pevskih
sestavov, je leta 1956 sklenil 10-letnico svojega delovanja obeležiti z jubilejnim koncertom.
Za počastitev omenjenega dogodka je skladatelj Matija Tomc uglasbil kantato Stara pravda,
ki je doživela praizvedbo 12. marca 1956 v veliki Unionski dvorani. Izvedba je naletela na
ostre odzive ortodoksnih marksističnih ideologov, ki so vodstvu zbora zamerili, da je po
koncertu počastilo skladateljski prispevek katoliškega intelektualca Matije Tomca. Vodilni
partijski ideologi so zaradi neljubega dogodka pritisnili na zbor tako močno, da je le ta izgubil
dirigenta Radovana Gobca in kljub desetletje trajajoči povojni tradiciji ter pomembni kulturni
vlogi dobe skorajda razpadel.
Andrej Misson:
ZBORI RADOVANA GOBCA (1909-1995) ZA ODRASLE
Skladatelj Radovan Gobec (1909–1995) je bil tudi zborovodja in pedagog, kar je pomembno
vplivalo na njegovo ustvarjanje zborov. Ustvaril jih je okrog 695 za odrasle, izvirnih je okrog
185, od tega 98 za mešani zbor, 69 za moški zbor in najmanj, 18, za ženski oziroma dekliški
zbor. Največ, skupno približno 510, je priredb različnih skladb. Med njimi je daleč največ
slovenskih ljudskih. Večina zborov je »a cappella«. Ustvaril pa je tudi okrog 90 eno- ali
dvoglasnih množičnih zborov s spremljavo. Skladatelj je zborovske skladbe ustvarjal skozi
celo svoje življenje, vendar pa obdobje njegove ustvarjalnosti lahko razdelimo na predvojno,
medvojno ter povojno. Na osnovi različnih virov so izbrani primeri njegove tovrstne
ustvarjalnosti in so razdeljeni na: 1. partizanske, borbene, revolucionarne skladbe; 2. umetne
skladbe raznih vsebin, mdr. tudi dve cerkveni ter 3. priredbe in obdelave ljudskih pesmi.
Izbrane skladbe so kratko predstavljene. Svoj glasbeni stavek, utemeljen na tonalni harmoniji
dura in mola, je izoblikoval dokončno že takoj po študiju na Akademiji za glasbo v Ljubljani
in mu ostal vseskozi zvest. V nekaterih skladbah je zaradi poudarjene vsebinske dramatičnosti
uporabil tudi nekoliko drznejše vodoravne in navpične tvorbe. Skladatelj je imel velik smisel
za oblikovanje napevov, ki so blizu širokim krogom izvajalcev in poslušalcev. Zato ne
preseneča, da je nekaj njegovih del, npr. Kaj bi te vprašal?, ponarodelih. Skladatelj Radovan
Gobec ima med slovenskimi zborovskimi skladatelji 20. stoletja posebno in dovolj
pomembno mesto.
Borut Smrekar:
OPERNA DELA RADOVANA GOBCA
Najbolj ambiciozno zasnovano Gobčevo gledališko delo je opera Kri v plamenih. Opera je
sicer napisana na visoki profesionalni ravni, vendar se zdi, da je hotel z njo skladatelj preveč.
Zaradi osebne angažiranosti in vpetosti v medvojni čas se že v libretu ni uspel izogniti idejni
deklarativnosti oziroma njegovi izrazito propagandni naravnanosti. Glede te pomanjkljivosti
svetovni nazor ne igra nobene vloge. Za konkreten libreto je mogoče celo trditi, da je v biti in
strukturi izrazito krščanski oziroma katoliški. Idejna agitacija je nujna in učinkovita v vojnem
času, ko gre za konkretne potrebe boja in borbene morale, nikakor pa ni posrečena v opernem
mediju. Zaradi prevlade agitacije ostanejo osebe v operi zastavljene enodimezionalne, njihovo
notranje in osebno življenje pa zgolj nakazano. Zato nas ne morejo nagovoriti z življenjsko
prepričljivostjo ali z obravnavo splošnejših človeških problemov. Ob takšni zastavitvi libreta
je malo prostora za glasbo, ki bi lahko prevzela vlogo konstitutivne dramske prvine ali
vsebinsko uspešno nadgradila besedilo. Tako ostane glasba pogosto na ravni scenskega
elementa. Je ilustrativna, opisuje neko razpoloženje ali dogajanje, ga tudi napoveduje, a
vsebinsko ne seže čez raven teksta. V tem pogledu je zgovoren citat Komisarja Iztoka: »Ni za
srce odmora, solzam zdaj ni prostora!«, prav to pa so esencialne prvine opere in prav to
manjka delu, da bi lahko uspešno zaživelo.
Gobčev mladinski opus sodi med najpomembnejše v slovenski literaturi. Zanj sta značilni
poljudnost, dostopna melodika in možnost izvedbe z mladimi izvajalci. Tematika sega
pretežno na pravljično področje, poudarjen pa je tudi vzgojni moment. Prav zaradi tega so
Gobčeva mladinska dela še danes priljubljena.
Gregor Pompe:
OPERETE RADOVANA GOBCA
Gobčev glasbeno-gledališki opus je precej obsežen, v njem pa lahko štiri dela (Beg iz harema,
Hmeljska princesa, Planinska roža, Habakuk) označimo kot operete. Vsa dela so iz
skladateljevega mladostnega obdobja – nastala so v razponu desetih let (1928–1938) pred
drugo svetovno, še preden se je skladatelj dokopal do akademske glasbene izobrazbe –, v njih
pa lahko prepoznamo vse glavne značilnosti operetnega žanra (kritična obravnava veljavnih
moralnih konvencij, osrediščanje na množične scene s tendenco po ekstatičnem, tematizacija
modernizacije, želja po begu v oddaljena prizorišča, enostavne glasbene oblike s
prevladujočim plesnim impulzom). V zaporedju treh obravnavanih operet lahko opažamo
spremembe, ki se tičejo tako vsebinskih poudarkov v libretu kot tudi glasbenega sloga in
gredo večinoma z roko v roki s sočasnimi spremembami operetnega žanra drugod po svetu, ki
se je v tridesetih letih vse bolj bližal reviji. Na koncu prinaša prispevek spoznanje, da
Gobčeve zgodnje operete nikakor niso v nasprotju s skladateljevim kasnejšim umetniškim
prepričanjem, ki se je uresničeval predvsem v množični zborovski pesmi – tudi opereta je
povezana predvsem z željo po široki razumljivosti in komunikativnosti.
VOL.13, LJUBLJANA 2010
CONTENTS
Andrej Grafenauer:
INTRODUCTION
Darja Koter:
RADOVAN GOBEC'S LIFE AND CAREER
Radovan Gobec (1909-1995) and his family can most probably trace their line of descent back
to Matija Gubec, a leader of Croatian-Slovenian peasant revolt in the years 1572/73.
Radovan’s father Dragotin was a nationally conscious Slovene who was also very active in
amateur societies, and his son followed father’s example of national affiliation. Radovan
Gobec received his education at teachers' training college in Maribor; he played a piano and
violin and also tried his hand at conducting. He started to study at the Academy of Music only
after the World War II and got a degree in 1951 in both composition and conducting (he
studied composition with B. Arnič and L.M. Škerjanc and conducting with Dr. Danilo Švara).
Gobec wrote his first composition while he was still a college student. His most creative
period was at the beginning of his professional career, however he continued to compose until
his death. The most numerous in his opus were compositions for choirs written for various
casts (opus comprises around 900 compositions and adaptations), music theatre works such as
a musical based on a fairy-tale Kresniček, meant for youth (written in 1928, remade in 1980),
and the operetta Hmeljska princesa (text R. Gobec, 1930). After the World War II he wrote
the opera Kri v plamenih (1969, libretto based on his own text), which has remained the sole
work of the genre in his opus. His opus also contains some comprehensive instrumental and
vocal-instrumental works in form of symphonic poems and cantatas (Osvoboditeljem, 1950,
Svobodna zemlja, 1954, Njegovo ime je legenda, 1959, Rdeča kantata, 1961, etc.).
Revolution, partisan and labour movements were prevailing topics of his opus that somehow
reflected his character as well as his life circumstances. Gobec wrote a number of massive
choirs and became an icon of the post-war musical life in Slovenia. He was a choirmaster to
two of the then most important choirs (Academic Choir Tone Tomšič, Partisan Choir), a
pedagogue on elementary and high level of music education, curriculum conceiver of
choirmasters’ education, school inspector, director of Festival Ljubljana, president of the
Society of Slovenian composers, an advisor, mentor, member of various juries and the
initiator of the development of amateur choir singing in Slovenia. Furthermore, he worked as
an editor of the editions meant for choirs and as publicist of various monographs. Radovan
Gobec’s work received a number of acknowledgements and rewards; among other things, he
was rewarded with Prešeren prize along with the Partisan choir (Partizanski invalidski pevski
zbor) in 1969.
Mitja Gobec:
RADOVAN GOBEC – MY PROFESSOR AND MY IDOL
Mitja Gobec, composer's son is reminiscent of his father as his professor and idol. He
describes his childhood in Jurklošter in Kozjansko, when his father had problems with the
Gestapo and consequently joined the partisans. Both father and son were profoundly devoted
to music, more particularly to choir singing and conducting. Radovan Gobec was a strict and
relentless professor when his son attended Pedagoška akademija (College of Education) in
Ljubljana. Later on, they cooperated at Radio Ljubljana, where Mitja worked as a soundman;
they were recording his father’s compositions interpreted by various ensembles. Radovan
Gobec had many friends among Slovenian composers though he had never been closely
related to any of them. As an experienced editor Radovan Gobec also worked with his son at
the magazine Naši Zbori and proved himself as an excellent mentor when his son was
entrusted with the task to make the review of his father’s newest compositions for youth
choirs. Radovan Gobec put to music the texts of various Slovenian literates (no less than 176
authors!) as well as his own texts. His choice of texts never depended upon the ideological
inclination of their authors. He was an excellent and very responsible organizer, a man of
integrity, who would have never allowed the ideological pressure to affect his work. He took
the effort to organize his own music heritage and correspondence archive. He was a man of
practice who, among other things, liked drawing, he was a skilful joiner and he loved nature
and enigmatograpy. He was very disappointed because revolutionary and once very popular
massive labour songs were gradually disappearing from choir repertoires after Slovenia had
been formed as an independent state.
Lučka Winkler Kuret:
RADOVAN GOBEC – CHOIRMASTER OF THE ACADEMIC CHOIR TONE
TOMŠIČ
In 1946, Radovan Gobec took over the leadership of a former male academic choir from
France Marolt, who had been its conductor from its establishment in 1926 until the beginning
of the World War II. Already at the beginning of his leadership of a student’s choir ensemble,
he re-formed it into a mixed choir, which was in 1953 named after a national hero and prewar
member of the choir Tone Tomšič. Gobec was a very enthusiastic and devoted choirmaster,
despite the shortage of scores and musical illiteracy of some singers. As regards the
programme concept Gobec continued Marolt’s tradition in the first years of his leadership.
Slovenian folk songs formed a major part of the programme; he also included the works by
Slovenian, Yugoslav, and foreign composers. In ten years of Gobec’s leadership, the choir
sang 205 compositions, which could be divided in folk songs of various arrangements (98),
art songs (37), partisan songs (27), massive choir songs (18), labour songs, and anthems (7).
Annually, the choir prepared a concert under a thematic title. Each concert was complemented
by a prolific concert brochure. Gobec also prepared concerts throughout Yugoslavia, in
Carinthia, as well as in the so-called Free Territory of Trieste; altogether, they performed at
265 events. The students’ choir attended the competitions on Slovenian and Yugoslav level
and ranked among the most excellent ones. As the choirmaster of the Academic Choir Tone
Tomšič, Gobec prepared high quality concerts thus indicating the way of development to
other amateur choirs and their choirmasters.
Aleš Gabrič:
CHOIRS BETWEEN THE TRADITION, REVOLUTIONARY STANDARD AND THE
INTERNATIONALE
The article demonstrates facts about the activity of the choirs in the period after the World
War II and the work of Radovan Gobec in this regard. Besides working in his profession, he
also composed and was engaged in a section of Ljudska prosveta Slovenije (predecessor of
the present Zveza kulturnih društev) and its successive institutions. Gobec also wrote a
number of excellent analyses of post-war choirs’ activities. Among other things, he
introduced many novelties into choirs and tried to resolve certain problems that occurred in
this sphere. One of the most important issues he dealt with was the organization of the
education for choirmasters which at the beginning was not included into a regular educational
system. At the time, the politicians were above all interested in the programme orientation
that would follow the ideas of communist government, but a real development in the music
sphere was inconsistent with political aspirations that required the domination of proletarian,
partisan and revolutionary songs in repertoires. In fact, Slovenian folk songs as well as songs,
composed by Slovenian composers were still prevailing. As soon as political pressures on the
amateur culture had ceased, the time has come to deal with new challenges related to modern
trends, above all with the prevalence of entertaining elements in the sphere of culture.
Veronika Šarec:
MASSIVE CHOIRS, REVOLUTIONARY AND LABOUR SONG IN SLOVENIA,
INTEGRATED WITH NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE 19th CENTURY AND
SOCIOPOLITICAL DIRECTIVES OF THE 20th CENTURY
In the past two centuries, revolutionary movements strongly influenced Slovenian
revolutionary music, for throughout its development it was marked by its mass character and
simplicity. Revolutionary songs of the 19th century represented the first phase in the
development of Slovenian art choral song, which was significantly influenced by the national
movement and struggle for national rights that became the main subject. At first musical
dilettantes created this type of music, therefore the compositions of the first generation of
Slovenian composers were very simple, hence adequate for massive choir performances; they
were comprehensible and accepted by broad masses. The most popular song among the
compositions of Slovenian authors became the song Naprej by Davorin Jenko. Its fighting
spirit and effective musical concept maintained its popularity even in the 20th century, when
the composers continued to write mass choir songs to encourage and stimulate the struggle for
national liberation. In the post war period, the fighting song was gradually transformed into a
massive labour song, which reflected the then situation in society and way of life. A great
number of massive choirs were created in belief that only massive choir compositions with
topical theme and cheerful, optimistic character were in accordance with the development of
socialism. Such works remained on the programmes of choirs until the end of the 80’s of the
20th century.
Jernej Weiss:
TOMC’S STARA PRAVDA (OLD JUSTICE) AND GOBEC’S QUARREL WITH
POLITICAL AUTHORITY
One of the then best Slovenian choirs: Tone Tomšič Academic Choir, decided to celebrate the
tenth anniversary of its work with a jubilee concert. To honour the above-mentioned event,
the composer, Matija Tomc, composed the cantata Stara pravda, first performed on 12th
March 1956 in the big Union Hall. The performance provoked severe reactions of orthodox
Marxist ideologists, who seemed to have especially resented the choir management for
honouring the composer’s contribution of the catholic intellectual, Matija Tomc, after the
concert. The leading party ideologists pressed on the choir so strongly that it lost its conductor
Radovan Gobec and thus nearly dissolved in the beginning of the post-war formation that
lasted a decade.
Andrej Misson:
COMPOSITIONS OF RADOVAN GOBEC FOR ADULT CHOIRS
Radovan Gobec (1909–1995), a composer, was also a pedagogue and a conductor of a choir,
which is obvious from his compositions for choirs. Altogether, he created 695 compositions
for adult choirs, among them are 185 original compositions, which include 98 works for
mixed choirs, 69 for male choirs and 18 for female or girls choirs. The majority of his
compositions (around 510) represent the arrangements of which the major part are the
arrangements of Slovenian folk songs. A great number of his compositions are “a capella”.
Among other things he composed around 90 unisonous or two-voiced compositions for
massive choirs with accompaniment. Gobec had been creating compositions for choirs
throughout his life; however, his creative period could be divided to pre-war, between-thetwo–wars and post-war periods. Based on various sources, Gobec’s selected works could be
divided into: 1. partisan, combat and revolutionary compositions; 2. original compositions of
various contents including two church compositions; and 3. the arrangements of folk songs.
The author briefly describes the selected compositions in the article. Gobec always remained
faithful to his musical movement based on the tonal harmony of major and minor, which he
formed immediately after his graduation from Ljubljana Music Academy. In some
compositions, he has used a bit bolder horizontal and vertical formations in order to
accentuate their dramatic substance. The composer had an excellent sense for the formation of
tunes, which were accepted by a wide circle of performers and audiences, therefore it is not a
surprise that some of his compositions, such as Kaj bi te vprašal? turned into popular songs.
Radovan Gobec ranks among the most prominent Slovenian composers of the 20th century.
Borut Smrekar:
OPERAS OF RADOVAN GOBEC
Gobec’s most ambitious theatre work is the opera Kri v plamenih, which was created in a
highly professional manner, but it seems that the composer conceived it rather too
ambitiously. Concerning the libretto, the author did not succeed to avoid the ideological
tendencies and propaganda. As for this deficiency, the world view is irrelevant. In its contents
and essence, the libretto is very Christian and catholic. Agitation is necessary and effective in
wartime, it is intended to raise the morale of soldiers, whereas it is unnecessary in the opera
medium. Because the agitation took the upper hand in the opera, the personalities in the opera
remained somehow one-dimensional, while their inner and personal life was merely
schematic. The personalities are therefore unable to address the audience either with vital
persuasiveness or with treating general human problems. Such libretto does not leave a lot of
space to music, which could take the role of constitutive drama element and supplement the
contents of the text. In consequence, music remains on the level of a scene element; it is
illustrative, it describes certain dispositions or developments and announces the development,
but in contents it does not reach beyond the text. Along these lines, the quotation of
commissar Iztok seems very eloquent:
"There is no time to yield heart at ease, no time to shed the tears” in fact, these are the
essential elements of the opera, which could bring the work to life but unfortunately, they
were missed out.
Gobec’s opus for youth is among the most important in the Slovenian literature. Its
characteristics are popularity, accessibility of the melodiousness and adequacy to young
performers. As for the subject, it is mostly derived from fairy tales with an emphasis on
education. For all the abovementioned reasons, Gobec’s works for youth have remained
popular to this day.
Gregor Pompe:
OPERETTAS OF RADOVAN GOBEC
Gobec’s music theatre opus is rather extensive; however, four of his works (Beg iz harema,
Hmeljska princesa, Planinska roža, Habakuk) could be defined as operettas. All of his works
of this genre came into being in his period of youth and were written in the period of ten years
(1928-1938), that is before the World War II, which was before the composer graduated from
the music academy. The compositions contain all the major genre characteristics (critical
review of current moral conventions, concentration upon massive scenes with tendency to
ecstatic, subjectivization of modernization, a wish to make escape to distant scenes, simple
musical forms with dominating dance impulse). In three consecutive operettas, the author
observes the alterations of both accentuations in libretto and musical style. These alterations
in a sense of approaching the characteristics of musicals are comparable with contemporary
alterations in the genre, which occurred worldwide in the 30’s. The conclusion brings forward
the cognition that Gobec’s early operettas do not contradict his later artistic convictions,
which were above all indicative in his massive choirs, seeing that operetta likewise expresses
the wish for intelligibility and communicativeness.